Money Is What Mayor Feren Wants

Outgoing Sunrise Mayor Steven Feren continues to embarrass himself and his city.

On Christmas Eve, he contacted his fellow commissioners, via email from commission secretary Terry Soto, to ask them to hold a special meeting tonight to give him an extra $150 a month for the rest of his life.  

To sweeten the deal, he wants to give the commission raises that would be retroactive for a year. You know, turn it into a backscratch-fest at the taxpayers' expense. Of course, he'd get that retroactive raise, too. Here's one of Soto's emails:

From: Soto, Terry
Sent: Wed 12/24/2008 11:46 AM
To: [Commissioner] 

Subject: Are you available...

Mayor Feren wants to  know if you would be available Tuesday, 12/30/08?  He might be calling a Special Meeting for two items. 

Increase for Management/Supervisory from $200.00 to $350.00 a month

and

Raises for Commission retro to January '08.
...

Terry Soto
Secretary to City Commission
City of Sunrise
10770 West Oakland Park Blvd.
Sunrise, Florida 33351
Phone: (954) 746-3250
Fax: (954) 746-3243

Get it? He's saying: Hey if you get me mine I'll help get you yours, too. Thankfully, the other commissioners didn't bite and city staff inform me that the dais will be empty tonight, as it should be over the holidays.

Feren's showing all the class of a wormy dog here. But it wouldn't be so bad if he was leaving public office forever. No,we're not so lucky: Feren is leaving office in Sunrise to become a Broward County Circuit Court judge. These last-minute antics to hit up taxpayers for more dough -- above his city pension and $145,000 judge's salary -- say all that needs to be said about the future character of his bench.